The invention relates to a washing machine having a laundry drum, which is rotatably supported within a tub, which is connected in a fixed manner within an enclosing housing, the axis of rotation of the laundry drum being variable in height in relation to the tub, and said laundry drum, together with a drive unit, being suspended in an oscillating manner within the housing by elastic elements positioned outside the tub.
Such a washing machine is known from EP 1 433 890 A2. An oscillation space with sufficiently large dimensions is provided for the laundry drum within the tub therein, so that the elastically movable laundry drum can rotate freely in all the laundry treatment program segments, without touching any parts in the tub, e.g. the heating elements. The distance between the wall parts of the laundry drum and those of the tub is therefore much greater than in conventional washing machines, in which the entire tub, together with the laundry drum, can move in an oscillating manner within the housing but the laundry drum can only rotate freely within the tub. Compared with such conventional washing machines therefore in washing machines according to EP 1 433 890 A2 the quantity of water present in the tub is much higher, resulting in an increase in water consumption, which should instead preferably be reduced.